Gee, thanks for correcting the link I posted, Cat! Shows what I was looking at when folks weren't watching; also that I wasn't paying attention. Or was it a Freudian slip? Certainly much better than what I intended to link to!
As to the Political Wire pieces: Maybe. But The Trump Praise and Worship Channel, er, Fox News will stay behind him to the end, whatever that end might turn out to be. Even if it is defeat in the 2020 election, they will bitch and whine that the election was rigged and stolen. I wouldn't underestimate the influence of that channel as a propaganda source and rallying point.I understand the Christian Right is firmly behind him, though the devil alone knows why. It's hard to believe that either the Fox News crowd or the CR will be swayed by *anything* the sonofabitch does.That leaves politicians. Well, seems to me he has proven he doesn't care about or, frighteningly, need politicians. He has his fans, who are truly fanatical and dangerous. I'm not sure he needs to worry about conventional political and governmental restraints.
As of today, I am "temporarily retired." For the past decade-plus I have been helping a group of biomedical researchers with their writing projects. The latter part of last year they found a replacement to take over the journal articles, leaving me responsible just for the grant applications. And it turns out that the grant application we just finished will be the last for a while. Some months down the road there will be another grant application and I will un-retire at that point. Presumably somebody who can potentially take over grant applications will also be involved with that and the full retirement I've been hoping for will be on the horizon, but we'll see. Meanwhile, though, I'll have the time to relax and read I've been wanting.
Enjoy, Bill! That reminds me that I formed the intention to download and read King Solomon's Mines but haven't done so yet; will do so this evening or tomorrow. I have a vague recollection of seeing a movie version back in the 1950's, but have never read the book. The Wikipedia article [Click] has a lot of interesting information about it.
P.S.: By way of partial comparison, here [Click] is a map of population densities in California (move the cursor from county to county to get the exact figures).
For those surprised Los Angeles County isn't a deeper blue: There's a mountain range that runs directly through it, with desert to the north. Not that there aren't several reasonably sized cities in the desert.
Last night, yesterday and the night before we had a significant amount of rain; it looks like the river has risen roughly five feet, and it sure looks like it might rain again this evening (it's now late afternoon here).
For you folks out there who might have an inkjet printer, a word of advice about something that just happened to me for the second time. I had a print job going and the counter on the waste ink reservoir/pad said it was full and stopped the printer working. It is not cost effective to take the printer to the shop to be fixed and reset, and changing the pad is difficult for an amateur. (I speak from past personal experience on both counts.) However, one can download programs to reset the ink counter (that alone is enough to get things working for a while), or get a reset program together with an external drain so it will keep going until something truly serious goes wrong. I shelled out for the first (single-time reset utility) because I needed to get things going again, and have ordered the latter (for my specific printer) here. [Click] Based on my experiences, I'd advise getting the waste tank with reset program before needing them. Canon and Epson, probably others as well, have taken planned obsolescence to a new level, and I am inclined to fight it. (Epson detects non-Epson ink cartridges and warns you using them will void the warranty, but the ones I purchase are very economical and easily pay for the printer itself.)
And my Xerox solid-ink printer periodically detects non-Xerox platens (not ink) and requires you to push a button to proceed. I've now decided the difference in price isn't worth the hassle.
Patty came by this late afternoon/early evening to see Mum. She and I had a nice visit too or, rather, it would have been nice if she hadn't insisted on discussing politics.
She managed to insult me for being a Bernie supporter (in front of her thirteen-year-old daughter), which I found just a touch rude. But the high point of the conversation came when she informed me that HRC has finally worked out that she lost the election because of misogyny.Maybe she was yanking my chain. It really pissed me off though.
Trying my level best to remain civil, I told her that the reason HRC lost the election is that she was not the right candidate. There was some back and forth, with me becoming increasingly heated and having a progressively harder time holding on to my temper.
Trump's name came up, causing me to splutter with indignation as always when forced to refer to him. BTW though I write the name, I refuse to speak it and finding an appropriate term, especially a non obscenity, always presents a problem, and this on top of the sheer distastefullness of being forced to refer to him at all. So, anyway, I was pretty exercised and Patty laughed at me.
"Oh, poor Kerry! She has to hide her feelings."
Frankly, I don't know what that was supposed to mean, but on top of the bullsh!t about HRC, I was greatly relieved to see the back of her.
Maybe I'm over-sensitive, but I always have the feeling Patty is jeering at me about something. Either that or she's bossing and bullying me. That may be her idear of friendship, but it's not mine. It's a good thing we don't see as much of each other as we use to, because being around her isn't comfortable anymore. I always end up angry and uptight, which I do not need.
Good Heavens. With friends like that, no one needs enemies.
Alan
P.S.: Thanks for your opinion of King Solomon's Mines. Having read She and The Return of She, I figured I couldn't go far wrong. It is (according to Wikipedia) such a groundbreaking book that it should be well worth reading for the sake of that alone.
Thanks, Alan. She means well and it is possible she doesn't entirely realize how intensely irritating she is.
Still can't quite get my mind around the concept of The Return of She. Must read She again. Perhaps I misunderstood something vital.
I also enjoyed Haggard's Cleopatra, a beautifully realized historical novel, and Allan Quatermain, another book about the hero of King Solomon's Mines. These last are grand adventure stories.
Gee, thanks for correcting the link I posted, Cat! Shows what I was looking at when folks weren't watching; also that I wasn't paying attention. Or was it a Freudian slip? Certainly much better than what I intended to link to!
ReplyDeleteAlan
The Second Ireland Sacred Harp Convention on YouTube has very good audio and singing...
DeleteAlan
It was a lovely video. It's comforting to know there are still people who enjoy and indeed value simple pleasures like music and companionship.
DeleteAs to the Political Wire pieces: Maybe. But The Trump Praise and Worship Channel, er, Fox News will stay behind him to the end, whatever that end might turn out to be. Even if it is defeat in the 2020 election, they will bitch and whine that the election was rigged and stolen. I wouldn't underestimate the influence of that channel as a propaganda source and rallying point.I understand the Christian Right is firmly behind him, though the devil alone knows why. It's hard to believe that either the Fox News crowd or the CR will be swayed by *anything* the sonofabitch does.That leaves politicians. Well, seems to me he has proven he doesn't care about or, frighteningly, need politicians. He has his fans, who are truly fanatical and dangerous. I'm not sure he needs to worry about conventional political and governmental restraints.
DeleteWhat Is It With US Presidents and Tomahawk Cruise-Missile Strikes? [Click] "Typically deployed symbolically by presidents facing domestic political troubles, they rarely have significant military effect." Juan Cole
ReplyDeleteAlan
listener, love the hat. It's far beyond my abilities!, but beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAs of today, I am "temporarily retired." For the past decade-plus I have been helping a group of biomedical researchers with their writing projects. The latter part of last year they found a replacement to take over the journal articles, leaving me responsible just for the grant applications. And it turns out that the grant application we just finished will be the last for a while. Some months down the road there will be another grant application and I will un-retire at that point. Presumably somebody who can potentially take over grant applications will also be involved with that and the full retirement I've been hoping for will be on the horizon, but we'll see. Meanwhile, though, I'll have the time to relax and read I've been wanting.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy, Bill! That reminds me that I formed the intention to download and read King Solomon's Mines but haven't done so yet; will do so this evening or tomorrow. I have a vague recollection of seeing a movie version back in the 1950's, but have never read the book. The Wikipedia article [Click] has a lot of interesting information about it.
DeleteAlan
For what it may be worth, I enjoyed the book. Never saw the movie though.
DeleteBill, may you relax and read to your heart's content.
DeleteCity and country folk: We’re mostly the same in Massachusetts [Click] From the Boston Globe--very interesting!
ReplyDelete---Alan
P.S.: By way of partial comparison,
here [Click] is a map of population densities in California (move the cursor from county to county to get the exact figures).
For those surprised Los Angeles County isn't a deeper blue: There's a mountain range that runs directly through it, with desert to the north. Not that there aren't several reasonably sized cities in the desert.
DeleteLast night, yesterday and the night before we had a significant amount of rain; it looks like the river has risen roughly five feet, and it sure looks like it might rain again this evening (it's now late afternoon here).
ReplyDeleteFor you folks out there who might have an inkjet printer, a word of advice about something that just happened to me for the second time. I had a print job going and the counter on the waste ink reservoir/pad said it was full and stopped the printer working. It is not cost effective to take the printer to the shop to be fixed and reset, and changing the pad is difficult for an amateur. (I speak from past personal experience on both counts.) However, one can download programs to reset the ink counter (that alone is enough to get things working for a while), or get a reset program together with an external drain so it will keep going until something truly serious goes wrong. I shelled out for the first (single-time reset utility) because I needed to get things going again, and have ordered the latter (for my specific printer) here. [Click] Based on my experiences, I'd advise getting the waste tank with reset program before needing them. Canon and Epson, probably others as well, have taken planned obsolescence to a new level, and I am inclined to fight it. (Epson detects non-Epson ink cartridges and warns you using them will void the warranty, but the ones I purchase are very economical and easily pay for the printer itself.)
--Alan
And my Xerox solid-ink printer periodically detects non-Xerox platens (not ink) and requires you to push a button to proceed. I've now decided the difference in price isn't worth the hassle.
Delete
ReplyDeletePatty came by this late afternoon/early evening to see Mum. She and I had a nice visit too or, rather, it would have been nice if she hadn't insisted on discussing politics.
She managed to insult me for being a Bernie supporter (in front of her thirteen-year-old daughter), which I found just a touch rude. But the high point of the conversation came when she informed me that HRC has finally worked out that she lost the election because of misogyny.Maybe she was yanking my chain. It really pissed me off though.
Trying my level best to remain civil, I told her that the reason HRC lost the election is that she was not the right candidate. There was some back and forth, with me becoming increasingly heated and having a progressively harder time holding on to my temper.
Trump's name came up, causing me to splutter with indignation as always when forced to refer to him. BTW though I write the name, I refuse to speak it and finding an appropriate term, especially a non obscenity, always presents a problem, and this on top of the sheer distastefullness of being forced to refer to him at all. So, anyway, I was pretty exercised and Patty laughed at me.
"Oh, poor Kerry! She has to hide her feelings."
Frankly, I don't know what that was supposed to mean, but on top of the bullsh!t about HRC, I was greatly relieved to see the back of her.
Maybe I'm over-sensitive, but I always have the feeling Patty is jeering at me about something. Either that or she's bossing and bullying me. That may be her idear of friendship, but it's not mine. It's a good thing we don't see as much of each other as we use to, because being around her isn't comfortable anymore. I always end up angry and uptight, which I do not need.
Good Heavens. With friends like that, no one needs enemies.
DeleteAlan
P.S.: Thanks for your opinion of King Solomon's Mines. Having read She and The Return of She, I figured I couldn't go far wrong. It is (according to Wikipedia) such a groundbreaking book that it should be well worth reading for the sake of that alone.
Thanks, Alan. She means well and it is possible she doesn't entirely realize how intensely irritating she is.
DeleteStill can't quite get my mind around the concept of The Return of She. Must read She again. Perhaps I misunderstood something vital.
I also enjoyed Haggard's Cleopatra, a beautifully realized historical novel, and Allan Quatermain, another book about the hero of King Solomon's Mines. These last are grand adventure stories.